Gutsy showing from Matthew aids Europe

Published on Saturday 22 August 2009 20:58

EUROPE capitalised on a late momentum shift to draw level with Solheim Cup holders the United States at 6-6 yesterday after winning two, losing one and halving one of the morning's fourball matches.

Trailing by 4 points to 3 overnight, the Europeans dominated the final hour of morning action at Rich Harvest Farms, Illinois, to leave the biennial team competition hanging in the balance.

"It was just phenomenal," a beaming European captain Alison Nicholas said after her team had come back after trailing in three of the four matches. "The girls made a few mistakes but they just carried on and kept looking forward. They're just fighting."

Swedes Suzann Pettersen and Anna Nordqvist won a tight battle with Nicole Castrale and Cristie Kerr one up, Nordqvist sealing victory by ramming in a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th green.

Frenchwoman Gwladys Nocera and Swede Maria Hjorth, three ahead after 12 holes, held off a late fightback by Brittany Lincicome and Kristy McPherson to triumph one up in the bottom match.

Perhaps the biggest confidence boost, though, came from Scotland's Catriona Matthew and Italian Diana Luna, who recovered from two down with two holes remaining to halve their match with Angela Stanford and Brittany Lang.

Matthew, who won her first major title at the women's British Open earlier this month, chipped in from greenside rough to birdie the 17th before Luna coolly rolled in a curling 15-footer at the last.

"It almost feels like a whole point," Matthew, 39, said. "We were kind of down most of the day and just found it on the last two holes really.

"We knew if we could get to 17 and 18 something good might happen. Seventeen is a par four and on 18 you know you can make birdie so you've got a chance. We were just lucky."

The Americans had registered the day's first point when Michelle Wie and Christina Kim, left, crushed Swede Helen Alfredsson and Spaniard Tania Elosegui 5&4 with a high-energy display of sparkling golf to put the US ahead by 5 to 3.

Europe, who have lost the last two Solheim Cup matches, are bidding to win for the first time on American soil.